Guardrails to Constructing Learning: the Potential of Open Microcredentials to Support Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning has been growing in popularity, but the ill-structured nature of complex problem-solving still has challenges related to how to ensure students learn the content and how to provide feedback. This paper addresses this gap by exploring how open microcredentials can support open-ended learning by providing "guardrails" that simultaneously honor the openness of student inquiry while addressing these challenges. This manuscript begins by exploring the theoretical tenents of IBI and the importance of self-directed learning in ill-structured problem-solving. We then discuss the challenges documented in the literature and how microcredentials could address some of the implementation issues described in the literature.